Small Beginnings
by Winds of New Beginnings
Summary: Everything starts from something. From a small seed into a great big tree. Sometimes the greatest things in life come from small beginnings. (Liason)
1. Chapter 1

~ * Small Beginnings * ~

Cradling a cup of hot cocoa in her hands as she sits on the steps of the back porch, Elizabeth Webber smiles as she takes in the beautiful scent of the crisp Autumn air. Though Autumn brings with it the inevitability of school, it is hands down her favorite season of all. A season of new beginnings. This year holds an especially bittersweet Autumn as it signals the final year of her high school career. Senior year. The last year of being a kid. The last hurrah. And she couldn't wait for it to begin.

"Why am I not surprised?" the gentle voice of her grandfather, Steve, voices from the back door, eliciting a soft smile to grace her lips. "Shouldn't you be out shopping for school supplies with your parents?"

"I wasn't invited," Elizbeth says with a shrug. "They're busy shopping for Sara's necessities. She is going to college, after all, Ivy league and all that...we'll shop for my things some other day."

"When?" Steve questions as he slowly lowers himself to sit beside her. "School starts in a few days."

"I know," Elizabeth smiles softly. "It's okay, Gramps, they'll get to me eventually."

"Tell you what," Steve nudges her gently. "Why don't you get washed up and we'll go hunt down those supplies together. What do you say? We can even have dinner at that restaurant you love so much."

"Gramps, you don't have to..."

"Actually, I do," Steve counters with a chuckle. "Clearly, I'm getting on in years and before long you'll be on your way to college, as well...we don't have that many more days left to spend together. Gotta take the chance while it's available, yeah?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth agrees, turning to hug her grandfather tightly. "Thanks, Gramps. I'll go get washed up."

"And I shall do the same," Steve replies as he rises to his feet. "Meet you at the car in twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes."

Walking off into the house, she quickly makes her way up to her bedroom to get ready for a day out with her grandfather, knowing that it'll be a great one. Any time spent with her grandfather is always bound to be great. Rushing through a quick shower, she throws an outfit together before blow-drying her hair and getting out to the car with minutes to spare.

Shopping with her grandfather went a lot smoother than it ever went with her parents. Seeing as she had free reign over which supplies she'd purchase, there were no lectures over what type of supplies her parents were willing to spend their hard earned money on. Making quick work of her supply list, they were at the restaurant and seated just before nightfall. It was the perfect day.

Until they got home and the hell storm that is her parents came raining down upon them. Her parents began berating her for putting it upon her grandfather to get her supply shopping done, but her grandfather didn't give an inch. He stood his ground against them, sending her off to put her things away and leave the handling of her parents to him. She didn't feel like it was right but obliged him regardless. She could hear the muffled sounds of their arguments all the way upstairs in her room, making her wonder just what they were truly upset about.

"Gramps?" she voices tentatively as she walks down the stairs after hearing the front door slam shut.

"In here," he calls back from the living room, prompting her to walk into the room, finding him by the fireplace. "Everything's going to be just fine."

"I don't understand," she says carefully, walking over to sit down beside him when he gestures for her to do so. "What's happening?"

"Your parents have decided that they'll be accompanying your sister to ensure she's taken care of while she's at college."

"Does that mean..." she couldn't even bring herself to say it, much less think it. "Am I..."

"No, you're not leaving," he assures her, placing a gentle hand atop of hers to ease her worries. "They hadn't been too thrilled with the idea, but I left no room for objections. You will remain with me until graduation. I think we both can agree that you've done enough traveling for the benefit of others. The next time you leave this town, it'll be of your own choosing."

"Thanks, Gramps," she says gratefully as she hugs him tightly, letting out a sigh of relief, having feared the worst. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"It's getting late, go on up to your room and get a good night's sleep," he says softly, pulling away to place a soft kiss upon her forehead. "We've got a long day at the hospital tomorrow."

"That we do," she smiles softly. "Goodnight, Gramps."

"Goodnight, Elizabeth."

Making her way back up to her bedroom, Elizabeth takes a nice long bath to unwind before throwing on a pair of pajamas and crawling into bed. Though she is a little upset about her parents putting her sister first, yet again, it isn't that surprising that they'd drop everything to accompany her to college. Heaven forbid Sara ever did anything on her own accord. She wouldn't be surprised if her parents started doing her homework for her to lighten her load. Putting thoughts of her parents aside, she settles into the comforts of her bed for a nice long slumber, thankful to have at least one family member that keeps her best interests at heart.

Morning came with it the rush of getting ready and jumping into the car with her grandfather to head to the hospital. While he's doing the actual doctoring, she's simply one of the many volunteers that help out around the hospital where needed. Not only does it fill her with a sense of pride to be able to help those that need it, but it is also a very good thing to have on college applications. Two birds with one stone kind of thing. Between volunteering at the hospital, her part-time job at the diner, and the art classes she's been taking to up her skills, the summer has been a very eventful one.

"Just like clockwork," one of the nurses, Epiphany comments when Elizabeth signs in at the nurses' desk. "You must be the most dedicated volunteer we've had in many years."

"Badge of honor, Piph," Elizabeth replies with a bright smile. "You know, if you pull any more double shifts, you're bound to make head nurse in no time."

"How..."

"Schedule board," Elizabeth chuckles, gesturing to the board behind the desk. "You must love your job."

"That I do," Epiphany replies with a gentle smile. "But, of course, the paycheck doesn't hurt either. With that teenage son of mine, the more I make the better, I say."

"Right," Elizabeth shakes her head. "How is Stan, by the way? Has he put together a list of colleges he'd like to attend yet?"

"Not just yet," Epiphany grumbles, a little frustrated with that fact. "He thinks that it'll come to him eventually."

"I can stop by sometime and help him look some over if you'd like," Elizabeth comments as she clips on her volunteer badge. "My grandfather has ordered quite a few brochures from different colleges. Maybe one of them will catch his eye."

"That would be perfect, actually," Epiphany says in delight. "How does Saturday sound? I'll even throw in some lunch to sweeten the deal."

"Saturday is perfect," Elizabeth assures with a bright smile. "Anyway, I better get to it, lots of patients to see."

"You truly have a golden heart, you know that?"

"I wouldn't let my mother hear you say that," Elizabeth chuckles. "Sara's the only one with that particular condition."

"Oh, hush," Epiphany chuckles, knowing the kind of relationship she has with her family, wishing there was something she could do to help her, but knowing there was nothing. "See you later, Liz."

"Later, Piph."

Leaving the nurse to attend to her duties, Elizabeth spends the next few hours spending time with patients to help lift their spirits. Most of the patients simply want an ear to listen as they talk about their lives and what has them in that place, others simply want company, no words just presence. Then there are those that want to listen to her as she reads them stories from the different books made available by the local library. No matter which it is, Elizabeth finds herself truly connecting with all the people she comes in contact with. When she first joined the program, it had been yet another way to try to get her parents to notice her, but it has come to mean so much more than that to her. She's learned so much in these last couple of years and she wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Not even her own parents' approval.

"Done for the day?" Epiphany asks her when she gets back to the nurses' desk to sign out. "What's next for you?"

"Work," she admits, handing over her volunteer badge. "Got the dinner shift now that school's about to start."

"How do you find the time?"

"Time management, thanks to my grandfather," Elizabeth admits, sliding into her jacket. "See you on Saturday?"

"See you on Saturday."

Working at the diner, much like volunteering at the hospital, allows her to meet so many different people from many different walks of life. Each experience teaches her so much of life and the struggles that inhabit it. She's learned so much, experienced so much, that she couldn't wait till her life truly begins. For her to live her life, experience new things, make mistakes, learn and grow. After another long, wonderful shift, that was both great and trying at the same time, Elizabeth makes her way back to the house for a nice long rest. She's got one last weekend before summer ends and school begins. She can only hope to make it last for as long as it can before she jumps head first into her senior year.

"Gramps," she voices when she finds him sitting on the steps of the front porch. "What's got you out here this late?"

"Just enjoying the night air," he replies with a simple shrug. "How was work?"

"Enlightening," she admits, lowering herself to sit beside him. "I can't believe I'm one weekend away from the start of my senior year."

"You and I both," he replies honestly. "Where do the years go?"

"Don't know."

"You know, your grandmother would be so proud of the woman you're growing into," he says wholeheartedly. "She always knew you'd be extraordinary."

"I wouldn't say that..."

"I would," he counters. "You have grown into a fine young woman and I have no doubt that you'll continue to grow in the years to come. I hope you know just how proud I am of all you've accomplished so far and all you are yet to accomplish in the years to come."

"Thanks, Gramps," she smiles softly. "It means the world to me."

"Speaking of your grandmother," he says as he pulls a small box from his pocket. "This is a gift from her to you. She made me promise not to give it to you until your senior year."

"I..." she was at a loss for words as she took the box and opened it. "Her car."

"I've kept it maintained. Even put in a new set of tires and battery," he assures her. "She figured you could put that license of yours to good use this way. She also wanted you to make her a promise."

"Promise?"

"She wants you to promise to use this car not only to get you places but to also enjoy the journey life takes you on," he says gently. "She knew, as I do, that you have a tendency to focus on the destination. Maybe, for a now, it'll help you to also experience the journey that gets you there."

"I will, Gramps. Promise." she says with her whole heart, hugging him tightly. "Thank you. For everything."

"You're more than welcome," he whispers, hugging her back. "You must be all tuckered out. Why don't you go on up to bed? Get a good night's sleep."

"Will do," Elizabeth says, kissing his cheek before rising to her feet. "Do you think we can go see Grams tomorrow morning? I'd like to thank her."

"Of course," he says with a soft smile. "First thing in the morning. I've got time before my shift."

"Perfect," she replies. "Goodnight, Gramps."

"Goodnight, Elizabeth."


	2. Chapter 2

~ * Small Beginnings * ~

Late into the evening, a knock sounds at his door, causing him to wipe the grime from his hands and toss the stained rag onto his toolbox. Glancing at the clock, Jason Morgan wonders who could be knocking at his door this late in the night. With a heavy sigh, he waits a moment to see if they'll leave but ventures to the door when they knock once again. Pulling it open, he was a little surprised to see his sister holding quite a few bags, instinctively taking them from her to lighten her load. With a glance at its contents, he almost groaned out loud, if not for her interruption with an explanation.

"Grandmother had sent Reginald out to get your things," his sister, Emily Quartermaine, explained carefully. "Mother and Father had no hand in it, promise."

"Right," he replies, though he isn't certain they hadn't suggested their grandmother be the one to do it. "It's late."

"I know," she says with a shrug. "Wasn't tired."

"I'm okay."

"I know that, too...but I still worry." she smiles softly. "I'm your sister, I get to worry."

"True," he accepts, taking the rest of the bags from her to store it in the closet for him to situate later. "But you don't have to."

"Eh, to each their own," she replies simply. "I know it's late, so, I won't stay, but tomorrow..."

"I won't mind the company," he says before holding up his hand when she tries to speak. "As long as it's only you."

"Fair enough," she smiles brightly. "Tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow."

Though the distance between the gatehouse, where he's staying, and the main house isn't quite that far, Jason still insists on accompanying her back. Making sure she's okay, accepting the hug goodbye when they reach the door, Jason waits long enough for her to walk inside before he makes his way back to his place. Though he has been emancipated for over a year now, he still obliged his grandmother's request to remain on the premises until after graduation. Less than a year left to go and he'll be out of that place on his own. He couldn't wait.

Dropping down onto the floor, he goes through the bags of supplies, finding everything he needed. Making a mental note to pay back his grandmother for the money she spent on the items, Jason gets back to fixing up his motorcycle. With school just around the corner, he needs it to be up and running before the first day or he'll be stuck accepting a ride from the family. Something he wasn't about to do. He's already changed the oil and replaced the parts that needed replacing. A few more tweaks and it'll be ready to go.

"What now?" he grumbles to himself as a knock sounds at the door, swearing it couldn't be possible for him to have so many visitors on the same day. "Seriously?"

"Table the I told you so, will ya," Johnny O'Brien replies as he trudges into the gatehouse, dropping his bags just by the door before plopping down onto the couch. "Really thought this time would work out."

"Right," he replies plainly, shutting the door before grabbing them a couple of drinks from the minifridge. "Need anything?"

"Just a place to crash," Johnny admits. "Till I get back on my feet."

"Sure," he says with a shrug. "Pullout's in the closet."

"Thanks, man."

"Sure," Jason nods slightly. "Night."

"Night."

Leaving his friend to his own devices, Jason heads up to bed to call it a night, knowing that his friend needed time alone more than anything. This wasn't the first time that he has needed an escape from his family and he knows it wouldn't be the last, but he still holds out some hope for his friend. Regardless of the hope, he still leaves room for his friend in his place and he'll continue to do so even after graduation. After all that he and their friend, Francis Corelli, have done for him since things got rocky with his family, Jason doesn't see himself turning his back on either of them and vice versa.

"Breakfast?" Emily offers as she pushes a cart of food into the house, surprising him when he sees more food than she usually brings over. "I noticed Johnny's truck when I got up this morning."

"Right," he replies, situating the food onto the dining table. "Thanks."

"Of course," Emily smiles slightly. "Anyway, I was thinking we could spend time at the lake today, what do you say? It's a nice day out and a day at the lake seems like a great way to spend the last weekend of summer."

"Sure," Jason shrugs. "Just us, right?"

"Yeah," Emily assures. "Johnny's welcome, of course."

"Welcome to what?" Johnny questions as he walks into the dining area, plopping down onto one of the chairs as Jason pushes over a plate.

"A day at the lake," Emily explains. "Maybe we can even barbecue...what do you say?"

"Sure," Johnny shrugs, downing some orange juice. "A day at the lake sounds good."

"Great," Emily jumps up from her seat. "I'll get things together for a barbecue. You guys can handle beverages."

"Thanks for the grub," Johnny comments as she gets ready to leave. "It's a great spread."

"You're welcome," Emily smiles softly, a blush creeping at her cheeks before she makes a hasty exit from the gatehouse.

The exchange between his friend and sister left Jason with an odd curiosity settling over him. Though the gears have clearly begun to turn with the two of them, he isn't quite certain either of them knows just what's going on between them. Being the listener, however, and not the busy body, he has chosen to let things play out as they will. Scarfing down breakfast and clearing the dishes, Jason gets back to work on his bike, accepting the help from his friend when offered.

"Carly," Jason says plainly when he pulls open his front door to find her on the other side of it.

"Don't act like you're not absolutely thrilled to see me," Carly says matter-of-factly. "I mean, I am your best friend, after all."

"That job's been filled, actually," Johnny points out. "By me."

"God, I can't believe they even let you past the front gate," Carly scoffs, clearly annoyed with him. "Do they no longer have any standards in this place?"

"I wouldn't say that so loudly," Johnny counters. "If the gate started having standards, you'd never get in to see your precious Jason."

"Enough," Jason states, growing tired with their back and forth. "Why are you here?"

"To celebrate the last weekend of summer, of course," she says as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's our friend-a-versary, silly."

"In other words, a psycho wannabe special occasion cooked up by the town crazy," Johnny counters with a scoff. "You really expect Jason to celebrate a day you made up?"

"No one asked you, leech!" Carly snaps, growing irritable. "This is between me and Jason. So, Jason...what do you say?"

"Can't," Jason replies as he grabs his jacket. "Already made plans."

"Plans? What plans?" Carly questions him as he basically brushes past her, Johnny following after once he locks up the gatehouse. "I've had this day planned for weeks. I told you that. How can you make plans on our day?"

"It's just a day," Jason sighs, stopping to turn to her. "We're leaving."

"And by we, he means us...not you," Johnny voices when Jason climbs into the truck and Carly tries to follow suit. "Better luck next time."

"Jason! Seriously?" Carly shouts out to him as Johnny starts up the truck. "Are you seriously going to leave me hanging?"

Deciding not to fall into that never-ending conversation, Jason gestures for Johnny to take off, knowing he'll most likely hear all about it at school where he has no choice but to listen to her. To keep up their appearances, he has no escape from Carly and he knows she'll use that to her advantage. Leaving that for another day, they head off to the store to pick up the drinks before heading to the lake to hang out with his sister. For most of the day, he leaves the two to their own devices, taking out the jet ski and racing around the lake for hours on end. The only thing he loved as much as his bike was his jet ski. Never gets old.

"Still don't get why Hurricane Carly is still an issue," Emily comments as they sit down for lunch. "I mean, seriously, what do you get out of keeping her around?"

"We all run the same circles," Johnny concedes as he makes a plate. "It may surprise you to know, but some people actually like her."

"That is seriously hard to believe," Emily admits with a sigh before sitting down. "One of the many reasons I'm glad I'm not part of your circle of friends."

"We're an acquired taste," Johnny agrees with a chuckle. "Though we aren't all that bad."

"You and Jason are the only redeeming qualities of that group," Emily counters seriously. "And Francis, of course...other than that...they're hopeless."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Johnny replies simply. "So...it's a no to a group thing, but what would you say to a little one on one..."

"You and me?"

"Yeah," Johnny confirms. "Is that equally as hard to believe?"

"Not at all," Emily says quickly, shaking her head. "I mean...I wouldn't be opposed to such a thing."

"Good to know," Johnny smiles softly. "I'll get back to you on that."

"Okay," Emily says as she prays that her blush isn't too visible upon her cheeks. "Should we call him in to eat?"

"He'll come in when his stomach demands it," Johnny assures her. "Till then, I'm good with it just being us."

"Yeah...me, too."

After a long day on the water, Jason spends some time with them on the shore before heading back to his place to call it a night, needing some time to himself while Emily and Johnny remain by the lake. Getting into the gatehouse, he starts packing his bag with his supplies before tossing it into the closet and heading up to bed. Lowering himself down onto the bed, he pulls out his memory box from where he has stashed it beneath his bed, letting out a deep breath as he lifts the cover.

He doesn't have that many items inside, but the few that reside within it are the things he holds close. Lifting a picture out of the box, he finds himself staring at it for a moment longer than he intended, eliciting a sigh to escape his lips as he places the image back into the box. Seems like a lifetime ago. It was an image taken just before his accident. Back when he had been a different person. A better person by many's standards. By her standards. Shaking his head, he places the image back into the box before closing it back up and storing it back where it belongs.

Less than one year and he'll be out of that place. And maybe, just maybe, out of that town completely. He truly couldn't wait for that to happen.


	3. Chapter 3

~ * Small Beginnings * ~

Sitting in her car, parked in the school's parking lot, Elizabeth takes a deep steady breath in as she stares at the building, watching kids starting to arrive at the school. This is her last year in this place and she can't help but wonder what this year will hold for her. Just as she was reaching for her backpack on the passenger seat next to her, her door opens up and in its place is one of her closest friends, Zander Smith. Accepting his hand, she lets him help her out of the car before sliding her backpack on.

"Hey, Z," Elizabeth greets him, accepting the hug he offers. "Thought you were moving away this year. Nonnegotiable."

"Pops decided against it," Zander says with a shrug. "I think a certain aspiring artist made quite a compelling case against it."

"In that case, you're welcome," Elizabeth chuckles, walking with him into the cafeteria. "Looks like our little group will remain intact for our last year."

"Looks like it," Zander agrees, gesturing to their usual table. "Maybe even growing as we speak."

"I heard it happened just this past weekend," Elizabeth comments as they take in Johnny with Emily. "She says it won't affect the dynamics..."

"Right," Zander scoffs at that. "He's part of _hell-storm_."

"Benefit of the doubt, Z," Elizabeth counters, putting a smile when they get to their group. "Hey, Ro."

"Hey, Liz," Robin Scorpio replies as she scoots over to make room for her to sit. "Z."

"Ro," Zander says as he plops down atop the table, dropping his bag on the floor. "Spill. How was Paris?"

"Enlightening. Romantic. Adventurous." Robin admits with a shrug of her shoulders. "Stone and I had a great time. We're thinking of going back after graduation."

"The Eiffel Tower must have been a real sight, huh?" Elizabeth comments. "It's one of the many places I'd love to sketch one day."

"It was epic, for sure," Robin agrees. "But enough about summer and more about the first party of the year."

"Last I checked, the first party of the year is hell-storm territory," Elizabeth points out. "And none of us are on that invite list."

"True, but who's to say we can't host a party of our own this year?" Robin counters. "I mean, their party is so elitist, right? Leaving more than enough people for us to invite to our party."

"Fair enough," Elizabeth accepts, eyeing her curiously. "Let's say I'm into such a thing...where would we host this non-elitist party exactly?"

"Huh," Robin actually hadn't thought about it, seeing as she didn't think any of them would be into it. "Good question."

"My uncle's warehouse will be empty for the rest of the month," Johnny chimed in, causing them to look at him and Emily. "I'm sure I can get him to let you guys use it."

"Doesn't that go against some kind of ethical code for your group?" Zander counters, backing down when Elizabeth subtly glares at him. "Just saying. The last thing we need is Hurricane Carly on our tail."

"She kinda always is regardless, don't you think?" Emily points out. "Johnny's offer isn't half bad."

"It isn't half good either," Zander replies firmly. "It's just asking for trouble."

"Liz...Ro..." Emily looks at them almost pleadingly. "Come on, guys..."

"It's okay, Em, really," Johnny shakes his head, understanding their hesitation. "It was just a suggestion. No pressure."

"No. She's right. It's a good suggestion," Elizabeth says after a moment of thought, rising to her feet. "We'd appreciate it if you'd ask your uncle to lend us the space. Thanks, Johnny."

"Sure thing," Johnny smiles slightly. "Anytime."

"Great! It's settled then," Robin exclaims happily. "We're throwing a party of our own."

"Thanks, Liz," Emily says after they walk off together to get some breakfast. "You're the best."

"Anything for a friend," Elizabeth replies with a soft smile. "About time you went for it."

"Yeah," Emily laughs softly. "Just wish I was graduating this year with you guys."

"Me, too," Elizabeth admits. "You do know it'd be easier if you just joined hell-storm, right? I mean, your brother is at the top and now you're dating his right hand..."

"As logical as that sounds, I'd rather be a loner than join them," Emily replies seriously, paying the lunch lady. "I love my brother and I really care about Johnny, but I'm nowhere near crazy enough to join the same group as Hurricane Carly."

"Good," Elizabeth says with a gentle nudge. "Cuz I'd hate to lose you to the jerk squad."

"Never," Emily promises. "You're stuck with me forever."

"I'll hold you to that."

Getting back to the group, Elizabeth sits down with Robin, handing her the breakfast she bought for her, watching as Emily and Johnny walk off to sit at a table by themselves. Guess it's better than deciding which group to sit with for breakfast. As they eat breakfast, talk of party planning ensues, her friends actually looking forward to a party for once. With the ringing of the bell, talk of the party stops as they get ready to head off to homeroom. As Robin and Elizabeth get closer to their homeroom, they spot the hell-storm crew heading down the hall, barely getting out of their way as they nearly knock them over.

"Still as sad a sight as ever," Robin sighs as they walk into their homeroom class. "To think there was a time I had a major crush on him."

"Good thing you met Stone just in time," Elizabeth agrees, having been surprised when Robin went through the Jason phase, much like most of the girls in their year after his accident changed his personality. "Or you'd be the queen of hell-storm in Carly's place."

"As if," Robin laughs as they take their seats. "That's one role I'm more than happy to leave to the devil herself."

"No kidding," Elizabeth chuckles. "Consider it a bullet dodged."

"Yeah," Robin agrees. "Definitely."

The conversation ends there when their teacher walks through the door and the class begins. The next few classes went like almost any other class on the first day of school. Introductions, preparations, blah, blah, yada yada. When lunch came, she was more than happy to be back with her friends, unable to handle yet another syllabus reading or rules recital. Of course, if she had known what would greet her when she walked into the cafeteria, she just might not have walked into the cafeteria at all. Being the dutiful friend, however, she takes a deep breath before walking over to the latest spectacle at the hands of hell-storm.

"Well, look who stumbled into our section of the cafeteria," Carly says with that disgustingly smug smirk on her face. "Little muffin face. Here to save that waste of space from the big bad hell-storm?"

"Hurricane Carly," Elizabeth meets her toe-to-toe, holding out a hand to help Damien back to his feet. "Word of advice, blondie, high school ends in less than a year. You won't have hell-storm to back you up forever."

"Is that a threat little girl?" Carly counters, anger flooding her being as she glares at Elizabeth.

"I don't make threats," Elizabeth states firmly. "That's your thing."

"Enough," Jason states just as Carly's about to lunge forward at Elizabeth. "Let's go."

"Seriously, Jason?!" Carly blurts out, followed by a loud shriek when he and the rest of the group start walking off. "This is far from over, little girl, count on it! Jason, wait up! You know I can't run in these heels. Geeze!"

"And off she goes," Elizabeth laughs, turning to Damien once hell-storm is out of sight. "Hey, Jackal, you okay?"

"Many thanks, Fair Elizabeth," Damien says happily once he ensures that his laptop hasn't been damaged in the fall. "If the Jackal can ever repay you for your kindness, you need only say the word and I shall be there."

"We're friends, Jackal," Elizabeth reminds him. "There's no need to repay me for that."

"Right, right, I know that," Damien says with a soft chuckle. "Anyway, the Jackal had better get going before another disturbing situation occurs. I bid thee farewell, Fair Elizabeth."

"Later, Jackal," Elizabeth smiles softly, watching him walk off before turning to Robin as she approaches. "Hey, Ro."

"Liz," Robin arches her eyebrow. "You sure love pushing Carly's buttons, don't you?"

"What I love is food," Elizabeth counters, gesturing for them to head to the lunch line. "Shall we?"

"Fair enough," Robin says as they walk towards sustenance. "Can I at least ask one more question?"

"Depends on the question."

"The beef between the two of you is worse than any beef Carly has with anyone and that's saying something," Robin says seriously. "Why is that?"

"So...about this party..." Elizabeth says, blatantly changing the topic. "Are you going for some kind of theme or just a run of the mill kind of party?"

"In other words, touchy subject...got it," Robin says with a shake of her head. "As for the party, sure, we can work in a theme. Any ideas?"

After a nice long conversation over party plans and an even longer second half of school, Elizabeth was more than happy to return to the slow pace of volunteer work at the hospital. Taking on the task of returning files, Elizabeth was almost having a stress free shift when she runs into the one person she hadn't expected to run into in this place. Placing a smile on her face, deciding to stick to her own advice, the benefit of the doubt, she stays in place when he walks up to her rather than walking away.

"Elizabeth, right?" Johnny voices with a slight smile.

"My friends call me Liz," Elizabeth replies. "What has you in the hospital?"

"Checkup, no biggie," Johnny assures. "Must be cool to volunteer here."

"It is," Elizabeth admits. "About as cool as dating Emily, right?"

"Yeah," Johnny shakes his head. "Never thought she'd see me like that, but I'm glad I was wrong."

"Matter of time, really," Elizabeth counters with ease. "Anyway, I better get back to work...unless there was another reason you stopped me?"

"Yeah, the warehouse is all yours for the party," Johnny divulges, handing over a piece of paper. "That's the address. You've got free reign for the week to prep for the party and whatever else you need to do."

"Thanks, Johnny," Elizabeth replies, tucking the piece of paper into her pocket. "You know, you're not half bad...for a hell-storm, that is."

"Like I told Em...we're not all that bad," Johnny says with a shrug. "Does that mean I can look forward to an invite to your party?"

"You'd skip out on a hell-storm party to come to ours?"

"It's bound to be more fun," Johnny replies simply. "What do you say?"

"I'd say...any friend of Em's is a friend of mine," Elizabeth says with a soft smile. "I'll get you the invite when it's printed."

"Cool," Johnny replies. "See you around, Lizzie."

"Whatever you say, Obie."

Sharing a little laugh over the nicknames, the two go their separate ways, a newfound friendship solidified. Finishing up her shift with the hospital, she makes her way to the diner to start her dinner shift there, finding that she was truly earning herself a nice long slumber with the day she's been having. Especially since hell-storm seems to continue their annoyance by being at the diner when she arrives for her shift. Placing the smile on her face, she pushes through, holding her head high despite the continued irritation in the form of Hurricane Carly.

Thankfully, for her, hell-storm decided to blow out of the diner not too long after she got there. It was as they were leaving that a certain pair of blue eyes found hers, but only for a moment. Forcing the memories to recede back into the lockbox she's kept them in, Elizabeth gets back to work and finishes off her shift before getting home to call it a night. By the time she gets home, her grandfather is already asleep, sparing her the conversation on how her day went for another day.

Getting upstairs, she takes a deep breath before pulling out the top right drawer of her dresser, reaching it to pick up a single photo. She hasn't seen that picture in many years, hasn't felt the need to look it in so long, and yet there she is pulling it out of its file grave. Lowering herself down onto her bed, she takes a deep breath, wondering how life can change so much. How people can change so much. With a heavy sigh, Elizabeth places the picture down on her nightstand face down before crawling beneath the sheets and calling it a night. To think senior year has only just begun. Yipee.


	4. Chapter 4

~ * Small Beginnings * ~

_The Quartermaines were hosting yet another one of their fancy high-end parties that her parents just couldn't miss out on regardless of the fact that she wasn't exactly feeling well. Taking a deep breath, she makes her way over to the front garden, deciding to take a break from the hustle and bustle of high society. Not like her parents will even notice her absence. She had to hand it to the Quartermaines, though, they surely know how to keep a garden looking beautiful despite the drop in temperature._

_"Take it you're not the partying type?" a voice causes her to turn to the side to see who has joined her in the garden, recognizing him from the other day when he returned from boarding school for the summer._

_"You can say that," she replies as she scoots over to make room for him to sit. "Same for you, I'm guessing."_

_"Sometimes," he admits. "Jason. Jason Quartermaine."_

_"Elizabeth Webber," she says, shaking his hand as a soft smile touches her lips. "Liz."_

_"I know."_

_"You do?"_

_"A Quartermaine must know all high society family members," he says all noble like before chuckling. "One of the many rules in this family."_

_"Right," she shakes her head. "My family has the same kind of rules...only I don't particularly follow much of them."_

_"That I can see," he replies with a smirk. "If you're up to more rule breaking...why don't we get out of here?"_

_"And miss out on Edward's famous speech?" she says teasingly as she accepts his hand. "The horror."_

_"It never changes," Jason assures though he knows she's just being sarcastic. "Come on, there's this really great place on the edge of the property that you just gotta see."_

_"Okay, okay," Elizabeth laughs as she jogs alongside him, giving no care to her particularly expensive gown. "I'm trusting you."_

_"Same here," Jason replies as they make their way through the foliage. "I don't bring just anyone to my secret hideout."_

_"How generous of you," she counters with a slight roll of her eyes._

_"Isn't it?" he replies with a chuckle, taking hold of her hand as he gets them past the last of the bushes. "And...here it is."_

_"I..." she takes in a deep breath as her eyes go wide, lowering herself down onto the grass as he does so, turning to meet his eyes as a smile touches her lips. "This is so beautiful."_

_"Yeah, it's why I like coming here. That and the fact that no one makes their way out to these parts," Jason replies honestly. "Thought maybe you could use it for your art project."_

_"Yeah, I could..." Elizabeth says before realizing what he had just said. "Wait...how did you..."_

_"Emily mentioned you were having a hard time finding a subject for your piece," Jason explains with a shrug. "I hope this will work out for you."_

_"It's tempting," she admits. "But I wouldn't want to impose on your secret hideout."_

_"This isn't exactly a selfless act," he concedes. "More like an excuse of sorts."_

_"An excuse for what?"_

_"For us to hang out," he replies carefully. "If that's okay with you."_

_She wasn't sure just how much she could have in common with someone commonly known as the golden boy of the Quartermaine family, but she also didn't see any harm in it. Deciding to give it a chance, they stay at the hideout for a few hours just talking about anything that came to mind. The more they hung out, just talking, the more they find themselves growing closer in their similarities as well as their differences. By the end of the night they were as close of friends as friends could be._

~ . ~

Carefully taking the sketch into her hands, Elizabeth sits down on her bed, remembering all the long hours she had spent making this sketch. All the detail that went into it. She and Jason had spent so many hours together as she worked on the sketch. The more time she spent with him, the more she grew to care for him, until the fateful night he made the ill advised choice of stepping in the way of hell-storm on a rampage through those they deemed to be nothing but a waste of space. Some days she can't help but wish he hadn't jumped in the way of that car. One minute he's getting hit by a hell-storm car and the next he's leading the pack.

"Yeah?" Elizabeth answers her phone, sliding the sketch back into her portfolio.

"Hey, Liz," Robin's voice comes over the line. "You ready to get started on the decorating?"

"Um, yeah, sure," Elizabeth says as she rises to her feet. "Did Z get back to you on the invitations yet?"

"He said it'll be done tomorrow," Robin assures. "We still haven't decided who'll be passing them out."

"I can handle it," Elizabeth replies. "My job at the diner kind of makes it easy."

"Great," Robin exclaims. "So, I'll see you at the warehouse in a bit?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth replies. "On my way now."

Ending the call, Elizabeth grabs her jacket and her bag before heading out to meet up with Robin. She had been passing by the diner when she decided to pop in for some grub, knowing they'll be quite busy getting the warehouse together and in major need of some refueling. Of course, like many things in her life, she truly wishes she could have foreseen what awaited her inside. She isn't sure if Carly just loves picking on Damien or if she secretly has a crush on him. As always, Elizabeth places herself between Carly and Damien, frustration vibrating through her entire being. When will this girl ever learn?

"You again?" Carly snaps, thoroughly irritated. "When are you going to learn to stay out of my way?"

"About the same time you stop messing with my friends," Elizabeth snaps right back. "So, I'm guessing never."

"You really wanna come up against all of us," Carly gestures to her friends who saddle up right beside her. "One of you against seven hell-storms...you really think you can beat the odds, muffin face?"

"If I have to," Elizabeth states, not backing down even an inch. "Unlike you, I'm not afraid to fight my own battles."

"Is that so?" Carly shouts, anger flooding her at the implication. "You think I'm scared of you? As if! I can take you on by myself just fine. Let's take this outside, shall we?"

"Carly, wait," her right hand, Sam McCall, grabs her arm to stop her from walking out of the diner. "You sure you want to do this?"

"We've trained for this, didn't we?" Carly says, reminding her of the hours of self-defense training they had together. "She's just a puny little thing. I've got this."

"If you say so," Sam says, releasing her hold on Carly before taking a step back, not having really meant about winning or losing. "Just hope you know what you're doing."

"Just you watch," Carly says as they walk out of the diner. "I've got this."

As the group of hell-storm walk out after Carly to watch her take on Elizabeth, Damien quickly gets on his phone to send out a mass text telling all of Elizabeth's friends what's going on. With the warehouse not too far from the diner they should be there in a matter of time. After sending the text, Damien rushes out to be there for Elizabeth until they could get there. Thankfully the fight hadn't gone on for too long before Elizabeth's friends showed up along with Emily's brother, the head of hell-storm. The look on his face had said enough. He wasn't happy.

"What the..." Carly nearly shouts before choking on her words at the sight of Jason pulling her out of the fight. "Jason!"

"You're gonna regret this," Jason states low enough for her to hear before turning to Sam. "Get her and go. Now!"

"Understood," Sam says carefully, having foresaw just this. "Come on, Carly...let's get out of here."

"Are you kidding me?" Carly snaps as a trail of blood slides down her chin from the side of her mouth, fighting against Sam's tugging. "Look at what she did to me!"

"Stop, Carly," Sam urges at the sight of Jason glaring daggers at them. "Just stop. Come on."

With the arrival of Jason, the crowd broke up as quickly as it had gathered, the rest of hell-storm following after Carly and Sam. None of them wanting to deal with Jason when he's clearly on a rampage of his own. One look at him and everyone with any sense in their brain ran in the opposite direction of wherever he happens to be. Once he was alone with Elizabeth and her friends, no one else within visible or verbal range, Jason moved to stand in front of Elizabeth.

"You okay?" Jason questions, noting each cut and bruise that began to form.

"I'm fine," Elizabeth says firmly. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Right," Jason says after a moment before turning to Emily. "Take her to the hospital."

"I said I'm fine," Elizabeth states, forcing him to turn back to her. "I don't need you looking out for me."

"Clearly," Jason states, meeting her glare with one of his own, truly wishing she'd stop stepping in for others. "Do it anyway."

"We're going," Emily says, knowing what was bound to happen if the conversation went on any longer. "Liz, please, let's just go."

"If you're really concerned about the smaller people, Jason Morgan, try putting that girl on a leash!" Elizabeth snaps as her friends try to get her to walk away. "Maybe then we'd all be better off."

"Liz, let's go," Robin chimes in now, tugging on her hand to get her to walk. "None of this will make a difference. Trust me. Let's just go."

"Fine, fine," Elizabeth concedes, knowing she was right, but still hating that it's true. "Let's go."

"Jason?" Emily voices as the rest of the group walks off to get Elizabeth checked out.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," Emily says, hugging her brother quickly, knowing he wasn't too big on hugging. "For showing up when I called you. I appreciate it."

"Sure," Jason says with a slight smile. "You should make sure she's okay."

"Will do," Emily promises with a soft smile before running off to catch up to her friends.

Watching his sister walk off, Jason lets out a low sigh as memories of what brought them to this moment plays back in his mind, knowing it was necessary, but hating that it is. Once he's sure they're gone, Jason makes his way back to his bike, straddling it and taking off into the night. A nice long ride should do the trick in getting his mind together before he faces what's bound to come next. He had been driving for a few hours when he finds himself outside the house of the man who created hell-storm, Sonny Corinthos. Shutting off his bike, he chances that his friend is still awake and knocks on the door, grateful when he opens the door moments later.

"Kind of late for a drive, isn't it?" Sonny comments as he steps aside to allow him entrance.

"No," Jason says as he walks over to the pool table. "One round?"

"As long as we're not playing for money," Sonny counters, grabbing his pool stick. "I'm in no mood to lose another grand."

"Fair enough."

"So, do I gotta ask?" Sonny questions as he sets the game up. "Or can you just jump right in?"

"Carly got into a fight with Liz again," Jason states as he goes for the break. "Worse than usual."

"Ah," Sonny says as realization settles in. "How you gonna handle it?"

"Working on it."

"And the girl?" Sonny questions. "You ever gonna tell her the truth?"

"What good's the truth?" Jason counters. "Doesn't change anything."

"It could."

"It won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know her," Jason states firmly. "And I know me."

"I get that the accident changed you, but it didn't change the parts that matter," Sonny points out. "You never know till you give it a shot."

"Nothing's changed," Jason says seriously. "So drop it."

"Fine," Sonny relents. "Was worth a shot."

"Sure."

After playing a couple rounds of pool, Jason thanks Sonny before heading back to the gatehouse to call it a night. It wasn't the first time that Sonny tried to convince him to take a chance on what could have been and he's certain it won't be the last, but Jason just couldn't chance it. They aren't the same people they used to be. He's most definitely not the same guy he used to be and there was no sense in putting her through that again. Regardless of Sonny's optimism, things haven't changed and they probably never will. It was evident in the way she spoke to him tonight.

"You really okay?" Robin asks Elizabeth once they get back to her place.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Elizabeth assures her, thankful to be able to stay there rather than have her grandfather see her and worry. "Carly doesn't hit as hard as she thinks she does."

"Still," Robin sighs. "I would feel more comfortable if you got checked out by a doctor or something."

"I'm fine," Elizabeth says seriously. "Really. It's not the first fight I've gotten into."

"Okay," Robin accepts. "So...can I ask?"

"Do you have to?"

"You know me," Robin says with a slight smile. "I gotta."

"Okay."

"This thing between you and Jason," Robin says carefully. "What is it? I mean...do you guys have history or something? What's the deal?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth concedes with a heavy sigh, dropping down onto the couch. "You can say there's history."

"Come on," Robin groans. "Don't make me beg."

"We were friends...a long time ago," Elizabeth admits with a shrug. "And I'm the reason he got into the accident that altered his personality."

"Wha...are you serious?"

"Hell-storm was being...well, hell-storm," Elizabeth explains. "They had just jumped a few kids a few blocks over when they started driving recklessly through the streets. The driver almost ran me over when Jason pushed me out of the way and got hit instead."

"Wow...I literally have no words," Robin stares at her with wide eyes. "I mean, I heard rumors about the accident, but the details were never released, so, I wasn't sure...dang. That's crazy."

"Yeah."

"I can't believe it," Robin says in disbelief. "Jason gets hit by a hell-storm car and ends up the leader of hell-storm. I mean, what are the odds of that kind of thing happening? It's..."

"I'd really rather not talk about it," Elizabeth cuts her off, really not in the mood to rehash the past. "Please."

"Okay, okay," Robin says with a soft smile. "Sorry."

Leaving the conversation there, the two transition smoothly into talk of the party, deciding it was a better topic for both of them. The party is in a few days and invitations are going out tomorrow. With everything pretty much set, they just had to make sure they decorate the place by tomorrow. Once the decorations are done, they'll be able to focus on the snacks and drinks, as well as the music. As they get ready for bed, Elizabeth can't help it as the past floods her mind, wondering if they'll ever come a day that she and Jason can find their way back to being friends. The way things stand now, she just can't see that ever happening.


	5. Chapter 5

~ * Small Beginnings * ~

Dressed to the nines in light of recent events, she must attend a rather unorthodox hell-storm meeting, hoping against hope that it ends well for her. Clearly she was put in charge of the ever frustrating Carly, but she couldn't truly be held accountable for her actions the other day, could she? Letting out a deep sigh, she decides to get the most obvious part of the punishment out of the way, pulling into the parking lot of the local diner.

"Got a minute?" Sam asks Elizabeth when she gets to the counter.

"Depends," Elizabeth counters. "You here to pick up where Carly left off?"

"In a sense," Sam concedes. "This won't take long."

"Fine," Elizabeth says before turning to her co-worker, Tammy. "I'll be on my break if you need me."

"Sure thing, love," Tammy says with a soft smile before turning to eye Sam firmly. "Cops on speed dial. Don't try anything."

"Right," Sam gestures at her gown. "Can't exactly cause too much trouble in this get up."

"You'd be surprised," Tammy counters before walking off to tend to customers.

"Come on," Elizabeth instructs her, taking the talk outside on the off chance that this is a Carly kind of situation. "We can talk out here."

"You know, I'm kind of surprised you didn't just tell me off the moment I walked through the door," Sam voices as they take a seat outside.

"I'm not in the habit of being rude to people," Elizabeth states. "Hell-storm or not."

"Yeah. I got that from your acceptance of Johnny," Sam admits. "One of the many reasons Carly can't stand you."

"Meaning?"

"Things are pretty much cut and dry where she's concerned," Sam explains. "Hell-storm on one side, the rest of you on the other."

"Right," Elizabeth scoffs. "Trust me. My problems with Carly run a lot deeper than hell-storm."

"Color me intrigued."

"You want confessions, call Carly," Elizabeth says firmly. "Look, I don't have much time left, can we get this over with? Whatever this is."

"Right. Sure," Sam shakes her head. "I just came here to apologize for Carly."

"Apologize?"

"You know, say sorry," Sam pushes further. "It's my job to keep her out of trouble. I shouldn't have let that fight happen. So...sorry."

"Your job, huh?" Elizabeth counters with a slight smirk. "You must be exhausted all the time then. Can't imagine she's easy to keep track of."

"You have no idea," Sam chuckles. "So...apology accepted?"

"Sure," Elizabeth says as she rises to her feet. "Guess that's that then."

"Out of curiosity, what would it take for you to tell me about your history with Carly?"

"We'd have to be friends," Elizabeth says simply. "You'll have better luck getting it out of Carly."

"Right, of course," Sam says with a wave of her hand. "I mean, the idea of us ever being friends...insanity."

"For what it's worth, Sam, thanks for coming by," Elizabeth says as she pulls open the door. "I appreciate the apology."

"Sure," Sam says with a slight smile. "Just doing my job."

"Right," Elizabeth shakes her head. "Take care."

"You, too."

Staring at the door for a moment longer, Sam lets out a soft chuckle before walking off to get to the meeting, knowing full well that a friendship between them is pretty much laughable. With her track record in hell-storm and Elizabeth's track record despising the group, it's not likely that they'll be able to form any kind of friendship. No. Her apology is complete and she'll have that under her belt as she faces the others in the meeting. Making her way into the estate, Sam walks over to the logbook, smiling slightly as she takes in all the names. To think that this group was founded by none other than Sonny Corinthos himself just five years ago.

"Hey, Sam," Johnny greets her as he walks over to where she's standing. "Thought you'd be here earlier to do damage control."

"That's exactly why I'm late," Sam counters with a shrug. "Went to see Elizabeth."

"Ah," Johnny shakes his head. "That's good."

"Yeah," Sam agrees. "It was very...enlightening."

"How so?" Johnny asks as they walk together to the meeting room. "You trying to recruit or something?"

"Elizabeth? Yeah, right! I'd have better luck recruiting the police chief," Sam laughs at the thought. "No. She just helped me see things a little differently. That's all."

"She does have that way about her," Johnny agrees, pulling open the door. "Guess it's time to face the music."

"Guess so," Sam smiles slightly. "Thanks, Johnny."

"Sure."

Bracing herself for the meeting ahead, Sam decides to take things as they come, the first part of the meeting being a delectable dinner. That's the part she couldn't wait for. After dinner, the meeting commences and she could tell that things were not going to end well for Carly. When Sonny created hell-storm, he created it to stand against authority, unfairness on a larger scale, but it turned into something entirely different after he graduated from high-school. It was one of the reasons he convinced Jason to take over the crew. It kept most of them in check, but Carly was always the wild card. From the look on Sonny's face now, it was clear that she played one too many of her wild cards.

"Can you believe that guy?" Carly blurts out in anger as she and Sam make their way out of the meeting. "How dare he threaten my place in hell-storm?! I've been a part of it since the beginning!"

"Which is why he's giving you one last chance," Sam reminds her, wishing she'd lose the hot head. "I suggest you take it and lose the attitude."

"Just because you folded and apologized to that muffin face doesn't mean I'm about to change my ways," Carly scoffs. "I mean, honestly, how much of a wet blanket can you be?"

"You know what, I'm so sick of this," Sam snaps, seriously growing tired of this back and forth. "You're never going to learn."

"Excuse me?!"

"Unlike you, I have a really good chance of continuing on in Sonny's business after high-school," Sam states seriously. "And I won't let someone like you put that at risk."

"Yeah, right!" Carly scoffs. "As if."

"You've seriously lost the entire concept for hell-storm's creation," Sam states angrily. "The crew was created to stand against authority, not to pound on other kids. Somewhere along the way that was lost in translation, but Jason's bringing it back to what it was meant for. The fact that you're putting it all at risk is just pathetic."

"One conversation with muffin face and you come out all high and mighty, seriously?! That's as ridiculous as you continuing on to join Sonny's business."

"This has nothing to do with Elizabeth!" Sam snaps. "The fact that you can't see that just proves how much you don't belong in hell-storm. I just wish I had the ability to strip you of your position."

"Well, good thing you don't have that ability!"

"But, I do," a voice sounds off from behind them, causing both women to turn around and see who joined them.

"Jason?" Carly looks at him in shock, unable to believe that he was standing there right then. "You...you wouldn't..."

"I would," Jason states. "And I am."

"You set me up!" Carly shouts at Sam. "This is all your doing."

"Sonny gave you a chance," Sam states plainly. "And you chose not to take it. You've only got yourself to blame."

"Do it, Sam," Jason states. "Then return to the meeting."

"Understood," Sam says as Jason turns away from them to walk away. "Be there shortly."

"Jason, you can't be serious! Jason!" Carly shouts, trying to go after him, but Sam stops her from pursuing. "Get out of my way!"

"Carly, it's done, your time in hell-storm is over," Sam states firmly, snatching the necklace that hangs around her neck before taking a step back. "From here on out, you're blacklisted from any and all hell-storm business."

Leaving Carly in her ranting glory, Sam makes her way back to the estate to finish off the meeting, a part of her saddened by the fact that Carly just couldn't learn. Even though it was her job to keep Carly in line, she actually came to care for her as a friend, truly hating that this is where things have gotten them. She had thought that, with some time, Carly would learn to embrace the true meaning of hell-storm and the opportunities that it presents once they graduate. Apparently not.

"You okay?" Jason questions here once the meeting comes to an end. "I know it was hard for you to shut her out."

"It is what it is," Sam says plainly. "I'll get over it."

"Right," Jason replies after a moment before handing her the necklace that she took off Carly. "Here. It's yours."

"I...I don't understand," Sam says as she takes the necklace from him. "Sonny wasn't happy with me either."

"Carly's responsible for Carly," Jason says simply. "I reminded him of that."

"And the promotion..."

"In order to fix hell-storm's reputation, we need people at the top that'll enforce the image," Jason explains. "Who better than you?"

"I..." Sam looks at him in disbelief. "I don't know what to say to that."

"Don't say anything," Jason replies. "Just do a better job than Carly."

"I will," Sam says without hesitation. "Promise."

"I know."

Securing the necklace around her neck, she thanks him once more before leaving the estate, needing time to get her thoughts together. When she had set off to attend the meeting, she had been so sure that she'd be getting kicked out of hell-storm right along with Carly. To not only still be a part of the crew, but also gaining a promotion atop of it...she just didn't have any words for what that meant to her. Having gone from foster home to foster home, she had found a home in the crew and it meant a lot that they would hold such faith in her. She won't make them regret it. Getting to the diner, she was surprised to find Elizabeth locking up for the night, a thought occurring to her.

"Hey," Sam calls out to her, taking a deep breath when Elizabeth turns to look at her with a confused expression on her face. "You got a minute?"

"Sure," Elizabeth replies, gesturing to the same table from earlier. "I can't stay too long...curfew."

"Right, of course," Sam accepts. "This won't take long."

"I guessed," Elizabeth smiles slightly. "Gonna make a habit of this?"

"Maybe," Sam chuckles softly. "Anyway...I was hoping to talk about the party you and your friends are hosting."

"What about it?"

"Relax, I'm not about to fight you over it," Sam says as Elizabeth gives her that skeptical look of hers. "I was hoping to wrangle a few invitations from you...if it's possible."

"You want invitations to our party?" Elizabeth looks at her in disbelief. "Don't you have a party of your own to attend?"

"Not this year, unfortunately," Sam concedes, but doesn't elaborate any further, knowing it wasn't her place to divulge Carly's fate. "So, what do you say? Unless you'd rather not have hell-storm at your party."

"Exclusion isn't my style," Elizabeth says after a moment of thought. "If you guys really want to come, you're more than welcome to, but on one condition."

"Name it."

"No trouble," Elizabeth says seriously. "Understood?"

"Understood," Sam says, reaching out a hand to shake on it. "Maybe that friendship isn't as crazy as we thought, huh?"

"Maybe," Elizabeth says before rising to her feet. "I'll print out your invitations when I get home. Come find me at lunch tomorrow."

"Will do."


	6. Chapter 6

~ * Small Beginnings * ~

Taking over hell-storm had been a tough battle, but it was one that he couldn't refuse to take on. After all the damage that hell-storm caused, being presented with the opportunity to turn them around was something he just couldn't back down from, regardless of the personal problems it presented. Sonny had put the challenge in front of him, refusing to step in to aid his takeover, which only proved to strengthen his standing somehow. What he hadn't known was that it was also Sonny's way of testing his reserve. Seeing just how far Jason was willing to go to right the wrongs that hell-storm undoubtedly created.

It wasn't until Jason successfully took over hell-storm that he saw the true potential in Sonny's vision for hell-storm. Since it's creation, he has been trying to put his plans into full motion but was never truly able to do just that. Not until Jason came along, that is. With Jason's particularly unique set of traits, Sonny finally believes that he can solidify his ideals and maintain his foothold on Port Charles once and for all. For as long as he could remember, Sonny has searched for a place to call home and Port Charles has finally become just that for him. A home he will fight his damnedest to protect.

A sentiment Jason can fully support and intends on doing just that. With Jason at the head of hell-storm, it is no longer just a tool to recruit but a sector all its own. Putting the members through rigorous training to best defend themselves and their crew, Sonny has groomed them to carry out missions all their own. By graduation, each member that shows a true understanding of Sonny's vision will be given the opportunity to continue on his organization while still having the option of declining, though hardly anyone ever does.

Sonny has given each of them a purpose they didn't have before and the loyalty that's created from that is everlasting. With Carly being kicked out of the crew, the relations with the crew have gotten a lot stronger, no longer having her toxicity plaguing each meeting. Jason has seen quite a few new friendships form practically overnight and that gives him hope for the direction that hell-storm is taking. He just has to make sure that whoever takes over for him once he graduates will be able to continue hell-storm's current path without deviating from its purpose.

"Jason," Sam greets him as she walks into the hell-storm base, setting the invitations down in front of him. "As requested. Everything's set for tonight."

"Good," Jason states though he's thoroughly surprised that she was able to convince Elizabeth to give them the invitations. "Sonny will have his men on the perimeter as a precaution. Let's not make it a necessity."

"Understood," Sam replies without hesitation. "I just hope tonight puts an end to this thing once and for all."

"This won't end it for the town," Jason reminds her. "But it will end it for the school."

"I guess that's one step closer to an end," Sam replies, letting out a deep sigh. "I've already lost one friend to this, I refuse to let this take anyone else."

"Sonny's working hard to cut off the supply line into town," Jason states firmly. "As long as we do our part, there will be an end to this for the town, as well."

"Right," Sam says with a nod. "Guess I better get ready. See you tonight."

Turning away from the door once she's gone, Jason goes over their plans for the umpteenth time, needing to ensure that they are prepared for anything that might come their way. They are already met with quite a huge setback with the party now containing more people than they had intended to invite. As unpredictable as this party might be, it is far less than the unpredictability of Carly. Knowing her the way he does, there's just no telling what she'll do now that she no longer has hell-storm to fall back on. No. Changing venue is the best thing for them in the long run. Now to get ready for the party.

While her friends are getting ready for the party, Elizabeth sits on the front porch of her house with her sketchbook in hand, her nerves getting the best of her so much so that she just needed the escape. What seems like only yesterday somehow feels like a lifetime ago as she remembers what had sparked her desire to pursue her art. All the memories from the past has fueled her to become the girl she is today and yet a part of her still misses the girl she used to be. The girl that didn't need to take defense lessons to feel safe. The girl that didn't lose faith in her best friend because he chose to make an unthinkable choice.

"And here I thought you'd be gone before I got home," her grandfather voices as he walks up the path to the house. "Seems we've been like ships passing in the night these days."

"Yeah," Elizabeth smiles softly. "We have been quite busy lately."

"As we had expected," Steve replies as he lowers himself down onto the steps. "Though, it seems luck is on our side from the looks of you. Care to talk about it?"

"That obvious?"

"You're my granddaughter," Steve counters simply. "If I can't tell you're in need of a good talk, who can?"

"The sketchbook was a dead giveaway, wasn't it?"

"You can say that," Steve chuckles. "So...what's eating at you, pumpkin?"

"Life," she replies with a heavy sigh. "Senior year is turning out to be a lot more complicated than I had anticipated."

"How so?"

"For the last three years, I have seen the people in hell-storm a certain way, not that they didn't give me good reason to," Elizabeth explains. "But now...I'm just not so sure anymore...they've shown me a whole different side to them that just contradicts everything I thought I knew about them."

"I'd say the only thing that's changed is your perception," Steve comments, smiling softly when she looks at him curiously. "No one is all good or all bad. Sometimes the only way to understand why people do what they do is to get to know their past as well as their present."

"I know. That's why I gave them invitations to the party tonight," Elizabeth explains. "My friends don't think it's wise, though, they think it's just asking for trouble."

"And what do you think?"

"You've always taught me to give people the benefit of the doubt and that's what I intend to do," Elizabeth replies. "And I think that by doing so...I don't know...maybe it just might get me to understand them better."

"And I think you're quite wise for your age," Steve comments fondly. "It never hurts to try to see the best in people and I believe your friends will see that soon enough."

"I hope so."

"Things work out as they should," Steve gestures to the image upon the page of her sketchbook. "What's meant to be will always find a way. You just have to keep the faith."

"I wish that were true," she admits, her gaze dropping to her sketch. "We've just changed so much over the years..."

"People change and grow for as long as they live. It's only a matter of understanding that and accepting each other as you are that love will flourish," Steve reminds her before placing a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "Enjoy your party and stay safe. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Gramps," Elizabeth voices softly, looking up at him. "I love you."

"I love you, too, sweet child," Steve replies wholeheartedly. "Never forget that."

Dropping her gaze back to her sketch, she lets out a deep sigh as her grandfather's words flutter through her mind, wondering if there truly was a way for her and Jason to find their way after all that's changed between them. Deciding to go on faith, she rises to her feet to head out to the party, hoping that her grandfather is right and someday all that's meant to be will somehow be. Climbing in her car, she takes off to Zander's house to pick him up.

"About time Liz," Zander blurts out as he jumps off the steps and hops into the car. "Thought you'd never get here."

"The party doesn't start for another hour, Z," she reminds him as they take off down the streets. "Besides, I thought you weren't too thrilled to be partying with hell-storm."

"Uh, yeah, right...of course."

"Unless you've changed your mind."

"Well..."

"Spill," Elizabeth states. "Now."

"Okay, so, maybe that Johnny guy isn't so bad after all. We hung out after school and...he's actually pretty cool." Zander hesitantly admits. "If you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it, understand?"

"Aw, big tough Z has a guy crush," Elizabeth teases as they pull into the parking lot of the warehouse. "That's actually kind of sweet."

"I mean it, Liz," Zander says seriously. "Promise me!"

"Okay, okay, geez," Elizabeth laughs. "Your secret guy crush is safe with me."

"And stop calling it that," Zander says as they get down. "Party here we come."

"Yet again, need I remind you, it hasn't started yet," Elizabeth sighs as they walk into the warehouse, needing to make sure that everything was in place before the rest of their friends arrive followed by everyone else. "Can you go start up the DJ booth, please? I could use some music."

"I thought Stone was manning the booth."

"He is," Elizabeth assures. "When he gets here. Until then, can you just put something on?"

"Fine," Zander says as he climbs up to the DJ booth. "But I'm telling him you told me to do it."

"Sure, name drop," Elizabeth shakes her head. "Otherwise big bad Stone Cates will get you."

"You joke, but the guy's a beast when you mess with his equipment," Zander counters as he puts on some music. "So, yeah, I'm definitely name dropping. No shame in the self-defense game."

"Right," Elizabeth says as she turns away from him, walking over to the table to check on the things. "Looks like we're all set."

Not too many songs later, her friends start showing up, Zander playing the Elizabeth card when Stone notices someone's been at his booth. Of course, Stone doesn't care who told him to do it and makes him stand there until he does a full inspection of his equipment. Elizabeth knows, however, that Stone's just messing with Zander. Being a couple years older than them, Stone has created somewhat of an image with Zander that he seems to have a need to uphold. She isn't quite sure why that is, but she'll let them have it.

"You know I always have your back right?" Robin voices beside her as they watch hell-storm walking into the party. "But this...I just really hope you know what you're doing."

"Trust me," Elizabeth voices as her eyes meet Jason's. "Benefit of the doubt, Ro...benefit of the doubt."

"If you're gonna have faith then so will I," Robin says after a long moment. "Let's party!"


	7. Chapter 7

~ * Small Beginnings * ~

Overall the party was starting off on a pretty strong note, the music's got people on the dance floor while the snacks and drinks keep their energy up for more. Her friends have been doing a really great job at playing host. They've even been nice to the hell-storms, which is a huge feat in and of itself, given the torment most of them suffered at the hands of past and current members. Like Johnny had pointed out, however, they aren't all bad and she's starting to allow herself to see that.

"Hey, Liz," Sam voices when she walks up to her. "Just wanted to say thanks again for the invites. You guys sure know how to throw a party."

"Thanks," Elizabeth smiles softly. "For our first party, I'd have to agree with you."

"You can't even tell it's your first one," Sam assures. "Seriously, you guys should definitely throw more parties if this is how it's going to turn out."

"I'll keep that in mind," Elizabeth laughs softly, knowing this was probably the only party they'll throw, given their schedules, but it didn't hurt to think about it. "Don't look now, but you just landed on Lucky Spencer's radar."

"I've actually been on it for a while," Sam admits, glancing over at where he's standing to wave slightly. "It's been...complicated, to say the least."

"That's something I've never heard before."

"What's that?"

"Anything Lucky Spencer related being complicated."

"I know what you mean," Sam laughs softly, knowing she was trying to ease the tension that has clearly started. "He puts up a good front, but behind the image there's a whole lot of complicated going on. I just don't know if I'm up for the baggage he's carrying when I've got more than enough of my own."

"You're not kidding," Elizabeth replies. "Talk about complicated."

"No different than you and Jason, right?" Sam counters, turning away from Lucky to look at her. "I mean, you guys kind of define complicated."

"How..."

"Takes one to know one," Sam replies with a shrug. "We both want what we can't have."

"Yeah," Elizabeth sighs softly. "I guess you're right about that."

"For now, anyway," Sam smiles softly. "Life isn't set in stone. There's always a chance."

Before they could say much more on the topic, Elizabeth is called away to handle something by the drinks, giving Sam the opening she needs to slip out the back. For a while now, she has wondered what kind of person could possibly have the heart of the infamous Jason Morgan and she's gotta admit she's not disappointed. Making her way to the meeting point, Sam double checks the envelope to make sure everything's there, needing this hand off to go down without a hitch.

Handling the ice shortage by grabbing some from the backup coolers she stashed away earlier that day, Elizabeth decides to grab a couple drinks and see if there was any hope to what could be. Making her way through the party, she finds him exactly where she had thought he'd be, secluded and away from the crowds, but not too far away to stand out. Walking over to him, she holds out a drink, smiling softly when he hesitantly takes it from her hand.

"Truce?" she voices as she gestures for them to sit down, lowering herself down onto one of the chairs.

"Sure," he replies, moving to sit down next to her. "You okay?"

"That's a loaded question," she sighs, opening the can before taking a long drink. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"When I walked away...when we ended...were you mad?" she questions, turning her face to look at him. "Were you mad at me for walking away?"

"No."

"Why not?" she asks him, seriously needing to know. "I mean, I was mad at you for a long time. I hated you for making the choices you did. How could you not be mad at me for walking away instead of accepting what you wanted like a real friend should have?"

"I hurt you with my choice and you chose to stop the hurting," Jason says honestly. "How can I be mad at you for that?"

* * *

_Yet another call from his family, Elizabeth is rushing to the estate, her heart tightening at the fact that he has gotten himself into another dangerous situation thanks to that stupid group. The Quartermaines have been looking to her to help him, but how can she when he refuses to see reason? Walking into his room, she find him bruised and beaten, trying to bandage his own wounds._

_"You shouldn't have come," Jason voices, refusing to meet her eyes. "I told them to stop calling you."_

_"Yeah, well, you don't control them anymore than they control you," Elizabeth countered in anger. "Why are you doing this, Jason? Explain it to me, please! I can't see how you can want to be a part of a group that put you in the hospital in a coma!"_

_"I have my reasons," Jason says, dropping his hands to his side when she grabs the bandages from his hands. "I'm sorry you don't like it, but it's something I have to do."_

_"One of these days, you're gonna end up dead because of those people," Elizabeth states, her heart in a constant fear at the thought, hating that he's brought them to this. "And I refuse to stand by and watch it happen. You want this, fine, have it, but know that we're done! I hope you're happy."_

_It had been the hardest thing for her to do, to walk away from him, knowing that he was putting his life at risk for whatever reason, but she couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take the fear or the pain that each encounter brought her. So, with no other choice on the table, she took each painful step out of his life until she was no longer a factor in it._

* * *

"Even so," she replies after some thought. "I can't say I would have made a different choice, but I am sorry that I couldn't stand by you."

"It's okay," Jason assures, looking down at his phone when it buzzes, glancing up at the back door to see Johnny signal him. "I'm sorry..."

"No, go ahead, it's fine," Elizabeth could feel her emotions starting to overwhelm her, accepting that things just are the way they are sometimes. "I have to get back to the party anyway. I'm one of the hosts after all."

"Elizabeth..."

"Yeah?"

"..." Jason tries to find the words, but they just don't seem to form, not the right ones anyway. "Thanks for the drink."

"Of course," Elizabeth smiles softly, shaking her head. "It was nice while it lasted."

Watching her walk away from him, Jason lets out a heavy sigh, knowing he had work to do, but wishing the moment didn't have to end. Accepting that nothing was going to get fixed in this very moment, he returns his focus to the task at hand, needing to ensure the safety of all his people before he can even think to focus on his personal life. Meeting up with Johnny at the back door, they stand by as Sam does her part, needing to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Hey," Emily says as lowers herself down onto a chair in front of Elizabeth. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth smiles slightly. "Just tired. I think I'm gonna call it a night."

"You sure?" Emily questions. "I mean, the party's just picking up momentum..."

"I'm sure you guys can tell me all about it tomorrow," Elizabeth replies simply. "Between work, volunteering and this party...I'm just spent."

"Aw, okay then," Emily concedes, hugging her goodbye. "Don't worry about Z. We'll give him a ride home later."

"Thanks," Elizabeth smiles. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

Taking one last look at the party, Elizabeth lets out a deep sigh before walking out to her car, needing the comfort of her bed now more than ever. She wasn't sure what she had expected exactly when she approached Jason, but she had held out some hope that things would have gone down better. She knows where they stand, having helped them get to this point, but still. Knowing that there just might not be any hope to fix what's between them, Elizabeth just wants this day to end, wanting to start a new day as if this night never happened.

"You okay?" Jason says, framing Sam's face in his hands, getting a good look at her.

"Yeah, yeah," Sam assures, smiling slightly. "Guy packs a hell of a punch."

"That was risky," Jason snaps in frustration, dropping his hands to his side. "You should have left that to me."

"He was gonna run," Sam explains. "We needed that location, Jason."

"Still," he states. "I'm the one that takes the risks. Not you. Understand?"

"If you're worried about me, you should just say so," Sam counters, laughing softly when he relaxes slightly. "I'm okay, Jason, really."

"Okay," Jason sighs, knowing there was no use arguing over it now. "But next time..."

"Sure," Sam says with a shrug. "So...how about that party, huh? Since the job's done and all."

Leaving things as they are, allowing himself to be thankful that it didn't end up worse than it was, Jason gives his crew the night off. Now that they have the location of their warehouse, Sonny will take over from there and shut it down, crippling the industry significantly. Once they do that, they'll have leverage to cut off the supply line, something he couldn't wait to happen. Keeping drugs out of the town is just one more step closer to keeping everyone safe. Telling them that they'll meet up tomorrow, Jason makes his way out to his bike, needing the open road now more than ever.

With the job no longer needing his attention, Jason has found himself overwhelmed with thoughts of the past and the future, trying to figure out just what that moment meant between them. Was Elizabeth trying to fix things between them or was she just trying to ease an already awkward situation? He can see a shift in her in regard to Johnny and even Sam, but did that mean she could find a way to see him in a different light as well? Or was he simply projecting his own hopes onto her? Before he knew it, he was shutting his bike off outside of her house, still unsure of how he got there.

Getting off his bike, his heart is caught in his throat when he sees Elizabeth in her bedroom window, that familiar feeling spreading through him at that simple sight. He didn't even realize she had left the party already, having believed she'd stay there with her friends until it was over. It didn't take long for her to walk out of her room and out the door to where he stood. From the look on her face, it was clear she hadn't expected him to show up anymore than he expected to be there.

"Hi," he whispers, unsure of what to say in that moment.

"Hi," she replies softly. "I...I don't know what's happening right now."

"Yeah," Jason accepts, not knowing either. "Would you...do you wanna go for a ride?"

"On that?" Elizabeth looks at him skeptically. "I don't know..."

"Just for a moment," Jason says as he holds his hand out to her, finding a certain revelation in the moment. "We'll stop if you don't like it."

"Okay," Elizabeth finds herself accepting, taking a deep breath before sliding her hand into his, an overwhelmingly familiar feeling rushing through her in that simple connection. "I'm trusting you."

Following him to the bike, Elizabeth allows Jason to put the helmet on her before climbing onto the bike behind him, holding on tight as he starts up the bike. The intense vibration rushes through her, adrenaline pumping through her veins as they take off down the road. It was a completely unfamiliar feeling, but such a beautiful feeling all the same. When he picked up speed, it was an explosion of color, a beautiful blur that put her in a whole new world of emotion. Beauty beyond words.

When the bike came to a stop, she wanted to thank him for showing her a part of his world, but Jason's words stopped her from voicing any of it. Listening to him as he spoke, Elizabeth couldn't believe that he was really opening himself up like this, knowing that it was no longer easy for him to do so anymore. After sharing in that moment with her, having her trust him like that again, he just couldn't help but want to put hope back into their relationship. Hope that there could be more for them. Hope that the truth will get them there.

"Why didn't you just tell me that?" Elizabeth questions with tears in her eyes, seeing just how much he's taken onto himself to fix, none of which was his mess to begin with. "I...I wish you would have told me that."

"You saw me back then," Jason sighs, shaking his head. "I didn't want you hurt. By the time I got things settled...the distance was set and I didn't see any turning back."

"I'm sorry, Jason," Elizabeth voices, seeing just how wrong she had been. "I can't believe I let you go through that alone."

"Don't do that," Jason says, sliding one hand into hers before reaching the other up to wipe away the tears. "We both made the best choices we could for the moment."

"Still..."

"Still nothing," Jason replies simply. "Your choices kept you safe. That's all I wanted. You being safe...it's all I want."

He knows that the day of his accident to Elizabeth is the start of the end for them, but not to him. To him, that day is his reminder that he almost lost her, that one single moment could have taken her from him and he couldn't handle it. It was just too much for him to process. Being given the chance to protect her was something he couldn't pass up. So, even if it meant losing her, Jason made the choice to take over the crew and ensure her safety.

Standing there, in that moment with her, knowing that he didn't destroy things with her beyond repair, he just couldn't help himself. Having her so close, no longer pulling away from him, Jason's body moves on instinct, taking the moment while it's in front of him. She hadn't seen it coming, but she finds that she's not afraid of it. All her hopes has become her reality and so much more. As his lips touch hers, Elizabeth feels an explosion of emotions throughout her body as she melts into his touch.

"Tell me that means what I think it means," Elizabeth whispers as they touch their foreheads together, allowing the moment to truly sink in. "That it wasn't just a moment."

"It wasn't just a moment," he promises, pulling away to meet her eyes. "I'm here if you are."

"I'm here," she promises with her whole heart. "I won't walk away again. Not ever."

"Never again," he whispers, leaning in to place a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "I'm here."

Pulling her in close, he holds her snug against him as they allow themselves to fully grasp where their night has taken them. Neither make the promise lightly, knowing that they have taken a step in their relationship that neither of them ever truly allowed themselves to hope for. Holding her close, he lets out a sigh of relief, knowing she was his and he was hers. Whatever may await them, Jason takes this moment to just relish in the moment. They can handle anything from here on out. Somehow he just knows it. He doesn't know how, but he does.


End file.
